Opportunity & Engagement
The Stanford Department of Surgery is committed to advancing surgical care, research, and education by cultivating an environment where all members of our community can reach their full potential.
Our Approach:
We recognize that excellence in surgery requires diverse perspectives, experiences, and approaches to problem-solving. By recruiting and supporting talented individuals from all backgrounds, we strengthen our ability to:
Deliver Comprehensive Patient Care: Our teams bring varied viewpoints that enhance our understanding of patient needs and improve clinical outcomes across all populations we serve.
Drive Surgical Innovation: Breakthrough research and innovative techniques emerge when we bring together individuals with different experiences and approaches to complex surgical challenges.
Train Tomorrow's Surgical Leaders: We prepare the next generation of surgeons by creating a supportive environment where every trainee—regardless of background—has access to mentorship, resources, and opportunities to excel.
Our Commitment:
Recruitment & Retention: We actively seek exceptional talent and create pathways for success for all faculty, trainees, and staff.
Mentorship & Professional Development: We provide comprehensive support systems, including mentorship programs, career development resources, and leadership training open to all members of our community.
Inclusive Excellence: We foster a culture of respect, collaboration, and open inquiry where all voices contribute to our surgical mission.
- Community Engagement: We partner with communities to address surgical care needs and advance health equity through research and clinical programs.
The O&E Committee welcomes and encourages the participation of faculty, trainees, and staff of all identities and backgrounds.
Programs for Medical Students
Samuel L. Kountz SCORE Fellowship in General Surgery
Established in 2008, this fellowship provides a stipend for a senior student to participate in a sub-internship with Stanford's Division of General Surgery. Apply through SCORE!
Stanford Clinical Opportunity for Residency Experience (SCORE)
SCORE brings fourth-year medical students from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences to Stanford for a four-week residential clinical training program in one of our clinical departments.
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This course allows first-year medical students to participate in clinical experiences that inform their vision as future physicians.
Rising second-year medical students from Historically Black Medical Colleges (HBMCs) come to Stanford’s campus for an 8-week, full-time research program.
Programs for HS Students
Health Career Collaborative
Stanford Surgery faculty, trainees, and staff participate in the Health Career Collaborative with East Palo Alto High School. The three-year program is designed to inspire high school students to pursue careers in health and medicine.
Each summer, STaRS hosts a group of talented young individuals who will work side-by-side with experienced clinician/scientist mentors and peers. This 7-week, in-person experience will challenge, inspire, and guide our interns on their first steps toward careers in healthcare and research. Prior lab experience is not a prerequisite. Passion, however, is essential.
MVLA Healthcare Career Pathways
This program introduces high school students from Mountain View Los Altos HS District to healthcare pathways through field trip visits to Stanford labs and discussions with diverse medical career professionals.
Cultural QI
Cultural Quality Improvement is a departmental-wide program to discuss, educate, and reflect on the interactions and situations often faced in the hospital that make department members feel uncomfortable, discriminated against, othered, or invalidated. The hospital is a complex environment with a myriad of communications and interactions between staff, colleagues, trainees, students, patients, and families that sometimes result in a situation that you wish would have been better. We are all working to improve, and discussing these situations is a way we can all improve and work on our professional development as departmental members, leaders, and educators.
Cultural QI cases are discussed at our monthly department M&M. Click here to submit a case.
Annual Events
Annual Diversity Lecture
Started in 2016, the Annual Diversity Lecture was created to showcase either diversity/equity/inclusion or professional development. The 2-day visit includes meetings with faculty, residents, and staff as well as additional talks with Stanford Med's Office of Faculty Development and Diversity, Faculty Women’s Forum, and/or other departments.
Past Speakers
Col. Jeff Hutchinson, MD
Reshmi Jagsi, MD
Tom Varghese Jr., MD
Fatima Cody Stanford, MD
Paris Buttler, MD
Thomas Satterwhite, MD
Sharmila Dissanike, MD
Odi Ehie, MD
Dr. Wayne Frederick
Drs. Susan Gentry & Dorry Segev
PRIDE - June
- LGBTQ+ individuals may face barriers to accessing culturally competent and affirming healthcare. Through this annual event, we endeavor to show that Stanford Health Care is open and accepting of all community members.
Join our annual Pride Parade!
Awards
Dr. Miquell Miller Award for Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
The Dr. Miquell Miller Award for Promoting Diversity and Inclusion was established in 2020 to recognize an outstanding GME trainee who embodies the passion and commitment to expanding diversity and inclusion efforts as demonstrated by Dr. Miquell Miller during her time at Stanford. Dr. Miller was the inspiration and the leader in creating the Stanford GME Diversity Council.
To cement Dr. Miller's legacy, Department of Surgery Chair Dr. Mary Hawn made a gift that will fund an annual award in her name, recommended initially to be $1,000.
The recipient is determined by the Graduate Medical Education Diversity Committee with representation from the Department of Surgery Diversity Council. The first awardee—announced in Spring 2021—was Internal Medicine Resident Dr. Christine Santiago.
